Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)

Sunday Bloody Sunday
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Schlesinger
Produced by	Joseph Janni Edward Joseph
Written by	Penelope Gilliatt
Starring	Murray Head Glenda Jackson Peter Finch Peggy Ashcroft
Music by	Ron Geesin
Cinematography	Billy Williams
Edited by	Richard Marden
Production company	Vectia
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	1 July 1971 (1971-07-01)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Sunday Bloody Sunday is a 1971 British drama film written by Penelope Gilliatt, directed by John Schlesinger and starring Murray Head, Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch and Peggy Ashcroft. It tells the story of a free-spirited young bisexual artist (played by Head) and his simultaneous relationships with a female recruitment consultant (Jackson) and a male Jewish doctor (Finch).

The film is significant for its time in that Finch's homosexual character is depicted as successful and relatively well-adjusted, and not particularly upset by his sexuality. In this sense, Sunday Bloody Sunday was a considerable departure from Schlesinger's previous film Midnight Cowboy, which had portrayed its gay characters as alienated and self-loathing, as well as other gay-themed films of the era, including Boys in the Band, and Some of My Best Friends Are....

The film was released before the 1972 shooting by the British Army of unarmed protesters in Derry, Northern Ireland, an event dubbed "Bloody Sunday."

Set in London, the movie tells the story of a middle-aged Jewish doctor, Daniel Hirsh (Peter Finch), and a young woman in her mid-30s, Alex Greville (Glenda Jackson) are both involved in a love triangle with sculptor Bob Elkin (Murray Head), a younger man in his mid-20s. Not only are Hirsh and Greville both aware that Elkin is seeing the other but they know one another through common friends. Despite this, they are willing to put up with the situation through fear of losing Elkin, who switches freely between them.